A 26-year-old suspect has been arrested for leaking Paramount+’s “The Legend Of Aang: The Last Airbender.”
The confirmation comes from sources after Singapore’s Strait Time reported on the news.
Paramount+ had been investigating the online leak of its upcoming film, and sources familiar with the situation said the leak had not come from within the studio.
Local police in Singapore put out a statement saying that it seized electronic devices, which included a digital copy of the unreleased film. According to the report, the man had gained unauthorized remote access to a media server, from which he was able to download the film before distributing it online.
Unauthorized access to computer material carries a maximum of seven years jail time, and/or a potential fine of up to $50,000, according to local laws.
The entire film was posted on X. The animated feature was originally slated to be released theatrically on Oct. 9, but the studio decided instead to distribute it exclusively on Paramount+ — leading to fan protest.
“The Legend of Aang” is based on the Nickelodeon series “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” It was animated by Flying Bark Productions, based in Australia.
“It was heartbreaking to see footage from ‘The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender’ leak online. This leak did not originate from Flying Bark,” the spokesperson said. “Our studio proudly partnered on the production until the very end and we acknowledge the filmmakers, cast, artists and animators who worked tirelessly to produce this incredibly crafted film.”
Though piracy is common on social media platforms, it is very rare for an entire film to leak so far in advance of its release date. Artists who worked on the film expressed their disappointment on social media.
At the time of the leak, animator Julia Schoel on X posted, “We worked on the Aang movie for years with the expectation that we’d get to celebrate all of our hard work in theaters…just to see people unceremoniously leak the film and pass our shots around on Twitter like candy.”
Parmount+ announced last December it would release the film on its streaming platform. The film’s director, Lauren Montgomery, expressed her dismay with that decision in an Instagram post last month, when she announced that the film had wrapped production.
“We screened the final film for the crew and celebrated the end of a four-year journey,” she wrote. “Now it waits in limbo until its release in October… The recent decision to move us from theatrical to streaming might give the impression that the quality wasn’t sufficient, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. This movie deserves to be seen on a big screen!!! Can’t wait for you all to see it!”
Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun and Eric Nam headline the voice cast, while William Mata is on board as co-director.
